THE HEROS JOURNEYOF EPIC PROPORTIONS COMPARE AND CONTRAST

THE HERO’S JOURNEY—OF EPIC PROPORTIONS

COMPARE AND CONTRAST � Heroes � Celebrities

TYPES OF MYTHOLOGY � Classical mythology—is from a more civilized time � Primitive mythology—deals with the ugliness and terror found everywhere � Greek mythology—is more inclined to deal with nymph-like creatures, heroes, explanations of the world, and more pleasant topics � Roman mythology—pertains to the origins of ancient Rome � Norse mythology—built on belief that doom is inevitable for both god and man; Scandinavia and Germany

LET’S COMPARE � Norse mythology � Christianity

COMPARE/CONTRAST � Norse mythology � Christianity

COMPARE/CONTRAST � Norse mythology � Christianity

LET’S COMPARE � Norse mythology � Christianity

TYPES OF EPIC STORIES � Myths—traditional stories that are rooted in a particular culture, and could be religious, and usually serves to explain a belief, ritual, or mysterious natural phenomenon � Legend—a story coming down from the past; one usually regarded as historical but it’s not necessarily verifiable � Folk tale—story that has no known author and was originally passed from one generation to another by word of mouth

COMPARE AND CONTRAST—USE CUE WORDS � Christianity � Norse mythology

NORSE MYTHOLOGY INFLUENCES ON TODAY � Norse gods are responsible for naming days of the week: Tyr, the god of war, Tuesday � Woden (Odin), the god of the sky, Wednesday � Thor, the god of thunder, Thursday � Freya, the goddess of love and beauty, Friday � Norse gods vs. Greek gods � Woden (Odin)— Zeus/Jupiter � Frigga—Hera/Juno � Thor—Odin’s oldest son, god of thunder and lightning �

HEADS UP ABOUT MYTHOLOGY � Mythology changes as people develop and change. � There are different versions of a single story because these stories come from different times and different authors. (Think about Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—all tell pretty much the same story but from their own experiences). � Some authors use the same characters but view the same character different ways.

COMPONENTS OF MYTHOLOGICAL SYSTEMS � All mythological systems contain: � An explanation for some natural occurrence or a phenomenon (example: Creation) � Moral lessons � Hero(es) or heroin(es)—sometimes human, sometimes immortal, or a combination of the two (demigod) � A ‘kingdom’ for their gods to reside in: � Norse mythology: Asgard � Greek mythology: Mount Olympus

� Epic hero—the main character, or protagonist, in an epic that is heroically larger than life, often the subject of legend or a national hero � http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=UD 51 mcnc 9 Hg (eight characteristics—take notes) Describes the typical adventure of the archetype known as the hero—a person who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe or civilization � Archetypes are recurring patterns of human behavior, symbolized by standard types of characters in movies and stories. �

EXAMPLES http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=KGV 1 Bvnyv. Go&f eature=related � Discussion: � Who is the epic hero in Star Wars? Harry Potter? The Wizard of Oz? � Are they archetypes? Explain. �

FAMOUS EPICS � Epic of Gilgamesh (from Mesopotamia) � The Fenris Wolf (from Scandinavia/Germany) � The Iliad and The Odyssey (Greece) � The Aeneid (Roman) � Buddhacarita (Indian) � Beowulf (Old English) � http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Epic_poetry

HEROES � Epic hero—the main character, or protagonist, in an epic that is heroically larger than life, often the subject of legend or a national hero � Anti-hero—main character of a story who is flawed and often does not display admirable qualities � Tragic hero—a character whose flaws lead to his or her own downfall/death � Alter ego--

ABOUT EPIC HEROES � Archetypes are recurring patterns of human behavior, symbolized by standard types of characters in movies and stories. � Bildungsroman—a coming-of-age story about a character’s journey, usually maturity � Epithet—adjectives or phrases commonly used to describe a person or group of people

ANTI-HEROES EXAMPLES � � � � � Batman (D. C. Comics) Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean) Conan the Barbarian (Conan the Barbarian novels and film) Holden Caulfield (The Catcher in the Rye) Homer Simpson (The Simpsons) Jay Gatsby (The Great Gatsby) Scarlett O’Hara (Gone with the Wind) Vito and Michael Corleone (The Godfather) Wolverine (Marvel Comics)

EPITHET EXAMPLES � Baby boomers � Blue girdler of the islands � Honest Abe � The gray-eyed goddess � Star-crossed lovers � Judas Iscariot � The winged messenger

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EPIC �A larger than life hero of national or historical importance � embarks on a journey, or quest, in search of something of value � Involvement of supernatural forces � A vast setting (including physical and special or spiritual worlds) � Has a basis in a culture or society � Glorification of the hero at the end

WHAT EPICS ARE THERE TODAY? � The earliest epics were the blueprint for those created today.

THE HERO’S JOURNEY 12. Return with Elixir 1. Ordinary World 2. Call to Adventure 11. Resurrection ORDINARY WORLD 10. The Road Back 9. Reward, Seizing the Sword 3. Refusal of the Call 4. Meeting the Mentor 5. Crossing The Threshold SPECIAL WORLD 6. Tests, Allies, Enemies 7. Approach 8. Ordeal, Death & Rebirth

THE HERO’S INNER JOURNEY 12. Mastery 11. Final attempt(s)— Last minute dangers 1. Limited awareness of problem 2. Increased awareness of need for change 3. Fear; resistance to change 4. Overcoming fear 10. New challenge and Rededication 9. Accepting consequences of new life 8. Big change with feeling of life and death 5. Committing to change 6. Experimenting with new conditions 7. Preparing for major change

HERO’S JOURNEY STAGES EXPLAINED � The Ordinary World—Hero is introduced sympathetically so the audience can identify with the situation or dilemma. Some kind of polarity in the hero’s life is pulling in different directions and causing stress. � The Call to Adventure—Something shakes up the situation, either external pressures or from something within the hero, so the hero now faces the beginnings of change.

HERO’S JOURNEY STAGES EXPLAINED � Refusal of the Call—The hero fears the unknown and tries to avoid the challenge but only briefly. � Meeting with the Mentor—The hero encounters a seasoned traveler who gives him/her training, equipment, or advice for the journey. Or the hero reaches within to a source of courage or wisdom.

HERO’S JOURNEY STAGES EXPLAINED � Crossing the Threshold—The hero commits to leaving the ordinary world and enters a new region or realm with unfamiliar rules and/or values. � Tests, Allies, and Enemies—The hero is tested and sorts out allegiances in the Special World. � Approach—The hero and newfound allies (if any) prepare for the major challenge in the Special World.

HERO’S JOURNEY STAGES EXPLAINED � The Ordeal, Death & Rebirth—The hero enters a space in the Special world and confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear. Out of the moment of death comes a new life. � The Reward—The hero takes possession of the treasure won by facing death. There may be celebration, but there is also danger of losing the treasure again.

HERO’S JOURNEY STAGES EXPLAINED � The Road Back—The hero is driven to complete the adventure, leaving the Special world to be sure the treasure is brought home. Often a chase scene signals the urgency and danger of the mission. � The Resurrection—The hero is severely tested once more on the threshold of home. He or she is purified by a last sacrifice or another moment of death and rebirth but on a higher level.

HERO’S JOURNEY STAGES EXPLAINED � Return with the Elixir—The hero returns home or continues the journey but with some element of the treasure assuring the audience of the hero’s transformation.

ODYSSEUS’S JOURNEY http: //www. tripline. net/trip/Odysseus'__ journey-2646574370671004 A 829 DCA 6 FAF 5 F 853

EPIC/ HOMERIC SIMILES � What is a “regular” simile? � An epic simile is a detailed comparison of something every day to something monumental. � For instance, in Dateline: Troy, it says that Paris is drawn to Helen like a moth to a flame. That’s a simile. � If it were an epic simile, it would be something like the following lines in the Calypso episode: � Lines 41 -47 � Lines 119 -122